A laryngoscope is regularly used in an emergency room setting to examine and intubate an individual having a compromised airway or undergoing a surgical procedure. Prior to the integration of a video system into a laryngoscope, a physician attempting to intubate an individual had to rely on tactile sensation to find a path of least resistance in which to insert intubation tubing. Incorporation of a video system into a laryngoscope provides visual feedback as to the optimal path of laryngoscope blade insertion for intubation and also serves to provide visual inspection of airway condition. Unfortunately, a laryngoscope video system is compromised by blood, fulminate fluid, debris, or damage to the airway; and in such situations, a physician must again resort to tactile feel in order to intubate. The inability to intubate can result in damage to the larynx as well as the requirement that an emergency tracheotomy be performed. In many instances when a visual system of a video laryngoscope is compromised by blood, fulminate fluid, or other material in the airway, the ability to clearly direct a laryngoscope is restored currently by simultaneously guiding a suction tube into the throat of an individual. However, the simultaneous manipulation of a suction tube with a laryngoscope is complicated by the flexible nature of the suction tube and the difficulty in orchestrating coordinated movement between the laryngoscope and the suction tube.
Thus, there exists a need for a video laryngoscope incorporating a suction capability into the laryngoscope blade.